The X-Files (1998)

June 19, 1998 (US) • Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller • 121m

Overview

Mulder and Scully, now taken off the FBI's X Files cases, must find a way to fight the shadowy elements of the government to find out the truth about a conspiracy that might mean the alien colonization of Earth.

Director

Rob Bowman

Writers

Frank Spotnitz, Chris Carter, Chris Carter

Top Billed

David Duchovny

Keywords

helicopter space marine government bomb mutation extraterrestrial technology obsession fbi secret society secret organization secret lab x-files ufo conspiracy ovine

Where to watch

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Top Billed Cast

David Duchovny

Fox Mulder

Gillian Anderson

Dana Scully

Mitch Pileggi

Walter Skinner

William B. Davis

Carl Busch

John Neville

The Well-Manicured Man

Martin Landau

Kurtzweil

Jeffrey DeMunn

Bronschweig

Tom Braidwood

Frohike

Blythe Danner

Cassidy

Terry O'Quinn

Michaud

Dean Haglund

Langly

Bruce Harwood

Byers

Armin Mueller-Stahl

Strughold

Lucas Black

Stevie

Christopher Fennell

2nd Boy

Cody Newton

3rd Boy

Blake Stokes

4th Boy

Don S. Williams

Group Elder

George Murdock

2nd Elder

Michael Shamus Wiles

Black-Haired Man

Darrell Davis

Primitive #1

Carrick O'Quinn

Primitive #2

Tom Woodruff Jr.

Creature #1

Greg Ballora

Creature #2

Ted King

FBI Agent on Roof

Luis Beckford

FBI Agent

Steve Rankin

Field Agent

Gary Grubbs

Fire Captain Cooles

Steven M. Gagnon

Last Agent Out

Larry Joshua

DC Cop

Glendon Rich

DC Cop #2

Gunther Jenson

Security Guard

Scott Alan Smith

Technician

Ian Ruskin

Well-Manicured Man's Valet

Paul Welterlen

Control Room Operator

Joel Traywick

Young Naval Guard

Milton Johns

British Valet

Michael Krawic

2nd Paramedic

Larry Rippenkroeger

Towncar Driver

Josh McLaglen

Buzz Mihoe

Randy Hall

Windbreakered Agent

T.C. Badalato

Fireman

Amine Zary

Tunisian

David Paris

Pilot

Vanessa Morley

Young Samantha Mulder (archive footage)

Jason Beghe

FBI Man at Bomb Site (uncredited)

Glenne Headly

Barmaid (uncredited)

Crew

Marlene Stewart

Costume Design

Gregory Bolton

Art Direction

Daniel Sackheim

Producer

Frank Spotnitz

Story

Mark Snow

Original Music Composer

Christopher Nowak

Production Design

Hugo Santiago

Art Direction

Jackie Carr

Set Decoration

Chris Carter

Story

Rob Bowman

Director

Chris Carter

Producer

Ward Russell

Director of Photography

Chris Carter

Screenplay

Lata Ryan

Executive Producer

Stephen Mark

Editor

Meg Liberman

Casting

Billy D. Lucas

Stunts

Michael Runyard

Stunts

Dane Farwell

Stunts

James M. Halty

Stunts

Hal Burton

Stunts

Steve Holladay

Stunts

Kendel McMurray

Stunts

Chris Blackwood

Stunts

Tommy J. Huff

Stunts

Jimmy N. Roberts

Stunts

Dennis Madalone

Stunts

Claudette James

Stunt Double

Shawn Kautz

Stunts

William H. Burton Jr.

Stunts

Dale Gibson

Stunts

James Ryan

Stunts

David Schultz

Stunts

Jimmy Romano

Stunts

Scott Hubbell

Stunts

Khristian Lupo

Stunts

Craig Shugart

Stunts

Erik Rondell

Stunts

Thomas DuPont

Stunts

Roger Wells

Stunts

Robert Powell

Stunts

Mary Astadourian

Associate Producer

William H. Burton Sr.

Second Unit Director

Colin Nicolson

Sound Mixer

Nancy Thurston

Stunts

Lisa Dempsey

Stunts

Bill Iiams

Construction Coordinator

Carrie L.A.

Location Scout

James N. Delaplane

Standby Painter

Rachel Flackett

Set Production Assistant

Fred Fein

Stand In

Brian Bennett

Stunts

Alex L. Worman

Unit Publicist

John A. Larsen

Supervising Sound Editor

John Casey

Costume Supervisor

Todd J. Adelman

Set Medic

Tim A. Davison

Stunt Coordinator

R.J. Kizer

ADR Supervisor

Mat Beck

Visual Effects Supervisor

Mark Kenna

Dolby Consultant

Dins Danielsen

Assistant Art Director

Tim Donelan

Leadman

Kerry Mendenhall

Key Hair Stylist

Matthew A. Del Ruth

Camera Loader

Susan Dawes

Dialogue Editor

Perry Petrzilka

Production Manager

Patti McNulty

Art Department Coordinator

Tricia Ronten

Script Supervisor

Harold Groshon

Electrician

Mark Steinbeck

Boom Operator

Marc Fisichella

Supervising Art Director

Jennifer Jaafar

Art Department Assistant

Kenneth Au

Digital Compositors

Fred Simon

Visual Effects

Jason Bell

Grip

Damian 'Rocky' Polito

Carpenter

Don Poole

Driver

Mark Suveg

Video Assist Operator

Pasquale Attanasio

Rigging Grip

David Was

Music Supervisor

Pamela Choules

Visual Effects Editor

Dennis McNeill

Color Timer

Stan Blackwell

Special Effects Supervisor

Carl Boles

Gaffer

Stevie Lazo

Production Accountant

Jonathan Sacks

Orchestrator

Nancy Collini

Set Costumer

Craig Heath

Sound Recordist

Howard Bachrach

Transportation Captain

Steve Duncan

Transportation Coordinator

Mike Amorelli

Rigging Gaffer

Matthew Ferro

Visual Effects Producer

Maxwell R. Johnson II

Transportation Co-Captain

Paul Urmson

Sound Designer

Geoffrey Patterson

Sound Mixer

Fanée Aaron

Set Designer

Lance Anderson

Prosthetic Makeup Artist

Peter Koczera

Digital Effects Supervisor

Alec Gillis

Makeup Effects

Paul Apted

Sound Effects Editor

Merrick Morton

Still Photographer

David Womark

Unit Production Manager

Jeff Charbonneau

Music Editor

Daphne Dentz

Visual Effects Coordinator

James Sweet

Key Grip

Phil Bowen

Aerial Camera Technician

Gino Crognale

Key Makeup Artist

Ronnie Lombard

Set Dressing Artist

Derek Hurd

Craft Service

Mike Carrillo

Property Master

Paul J. Lombardi

Special Effects Coordinator

Josh McLaglen

First Assistant Director

Mark Ballentine

Best Boy Electric

Michael J. Burmeister

Location Manager

Dina Farnell

Production Coordinator

Michael Gates

Painter

Lloyd Ahern II

Additional Photography

Robert Mendoza

Post Production Assistant

Margaret Adachi

First Assistant Editor

Samuel H. Adams

Propmaker

Doris Donnenberg

Production Supervisor

Mark La Bonge

Camera Operator

Brad Edmiston

First Assistant Camera

Jenna Abrahamson-Minardi

Lighting Technician

Blake R. Cornett

Assistant Sound Editor

Rodger Pardee

Sound

Jon H. Epstein

Stunt Double

Frank Spotnitz

Co-Producer

Troy Robinson

Stunts

Troy Brown

Stunts

Bob Brown

Stunts

Gregory J. Barnett

Stunts

Steve M. Davison

Stunts

John C. Meier

Stunts

Jim Martin

Production Illustrator

Susan A. Burig

Graphic Designer

Tim Flattery

Concept Artist

Ramsey McDaniel

Title Designer

Jeff Hamon

ADR Mixer

Diane Linn

ADR Recordist

Helen Monaghan

Key Costumer

Rich Sickler

Second Second Assistant Director

Jill Hall

Set Dressing Buyer

Dawn Fintor

Foley Artist

Renato De Cotiis

Additional Third Assistant Director

Max E. Brehme

Swing

Scott D. Mattson

Special Effects Assistant

Phil Booth

Third Assistant Director

Christopher Leone

VFX Artist

Howard Fannon

Assistant Property Master

Jim Cashman

Visual Effects Production Assistant

James Bolt

Additional Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Miyuki Takahashi

2D Artist

Edwin Rivera

2D Supervisor

David Betancourt

Foley Mixer

Carrie Cashman

Foley Recordist

Michael Mills

Makeup Supervisor

Jan Beran

Special Effects Technician

Robb Bihun

Storyboard Artist

Erik Henry

Additional Visual Effects

Julie Ann Moyeda

Payroll Accountant

William O. Heaton

Technical Advisor

Michael Cassidy

Second Assistant Camera

Janet Tebrooke

Wardrobe Supervisor

Mark Snow

Conductor

Chad C. Barrow

Best Boy Grip

Merritt Gold

Focus Puller

Dave Casella

Production Assistant

Greg Strause

Digital Supervisor

David M. Wermus

Location Assistant

Linda Gregory

Accountant

Heather Burton-Gibson

Stunt Double

Timothy Falconer

Assistant Location Manager

Ricky Cuevas

Assistant Accountant

Tom Gleason

Assistant Camera

David Paris

Aerial Coordinator

Rick Kangrga

Dolly Grip

Erik Liles

Senior Animator

Gary Burritt

Negative Cutter

Anna Bradley

Key Set Production Assistant

Shaun M. McGovern

Second Assistant Accountant

Kelly Richards Ralston

First Assistant Accountant

John Nein

Production Secretary

Jeff Cahn

Assistant Editor

Stephen Sobisky

Project Manager

Patrick Rush

Additional Casting

Angela Terry

Casting Assistant

Travis Baumann

Compositing Artist

Jennifer S. Deayton

Assistant Production Coordinator

Jerry Solomon

Chief Lighting Technician

Jamie Sewell

Clapper Loader

Collection

The X Files Collection

The X-Files

The X-Files: I Want to Believe

Reviews

Wuchak

⭐ 7/10

September 2, 2025

**_The best of The X Files_**

After an explosion reminiscent of the Oklahoma City bombing, FBI agents Mulder and Scully stumble on an otherworldly virus and an intricate governmental cover-up. Their investigation leads them all over the map and, ultimately, to Antarctica, with numerous mysterious happenings and shadowy meetings.

Originally known simply as "The X Files" but later as "The X-Files: Fight the Future," this 1998 film is essentially an elongated episode of the TV series with a bigger budget. I've never been more than a casual viewer (seeing 10-12 of the top-rated episodes) and, to me, this film pretty much represents the best the series had to offer, except that I favor the MOTW episodes as opposed to the alien conspiracy ones. “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose” from season 3 is a good example. I just prefer the human interest and uniqueness of such episodes compared to the listless redundancy of the alien conspiracy segments.

Everyone knows that creator Chris Carter was inspired by The Night Stalker TV Series/movies when he formulated the show. Whereas that brief 70s’ series was overt and almost cartoony with its depictions of the paranormal, The X Files always took a more subdued, realistic approach. To some, this made it boring; to others, fascinating; to me, a mixture of both.

The way the plot in the movie unfolds is similar to "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark," albeit grimmer and quasi-believable. Other than the paranormal, the appeal of The X Files has always been Gillian Anderson. What a uniquely beautiful redhead with her intelligent, cynical expressions.

There are some glaring geographical problems, unfortunately. For instance, Dallas is located in east Texas, which is technically on the eastern side of the USA and looks it; it’s very green. There are no desert-like landscapes anywhere close. Producers obviously did this to save on costs, but why not have those particular sequences take place outside of El Paso in west Texas? Or how about nearby Santa Fe or Albuquerque, New Mexico? Furthermore, a car trip from Dallas to DC takes 20 hours, not a single night’s drive as shown; not to mention traveling from Dallas to the Mexican border takes over 9 hours, not a couple of hours.

It runs 2 hours, 2 minutes (with the Theatrical Release running a minute or two shorter) and was shot in California, British Columbia, Texas, New Jersey, London and Washington DC.

GRADE: B/B+

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